Putting an image inside text

There are many examples of when you might want to incorporate text into an image. But I often like to incorporate an image into text. Let me show you what I mean. I'm going to add some text to this image. I'll go ahead and choose the Type tool from the tool box. And then I'll choose a particular text style that I'd like. In this case I'm going to use a relatively heavy font. So, I'll go ahead and choose this font, for example. It looks nice and dark, and then I'll click into the image, and I'll type some text. I'll just type the word sunset since this image was captured just after sunset.

I can select that text and adjust the size of the text, for example, I'll adjust that font size. And then perhaps I'll align the text with the background, so that it's centered. And then I want to do something especially unique. I want to blend the image into this text. So, I'm going to start off by double clicking on the thumbnail for my Background Image layer. So, that that layer converts from a Background layer into a Normal layer. And when I do so, the New Layer dialog will appear, I'll go ahead and click OK. And that Background layer is now a Normal layer.

Next, I'm going to place this layer of the Image layer above my Text layer. So, I'll click on the thumbnail and just drag upward until I see that Horizontal bar at the top of the Layers panel. Which indicates that if I release the mouse, the layer will be placed in that position. So, now my Image layer is directly above my Text layer. Of course that means the text has been completely hidden by the image but I'm going to change that in just a moment. I'm going to place this image into a clipping group with the Text layer so that the image is only visible where the text is visible. So, I'll go to the Layer menu and then choose Create Clipping Mask, and that will put my Image layer into a clipping group with the text. And that means that the text is serving as a clipping mask for my Image layer, determining where that layer is actually visible.

And of course, the best part is the text is still a fully editable Text layer. I'll go ahead and double-click on that text layer in order to make it active, and I'll bring up my panels and perhaps increase the vertical scale. Maybe take that up to 150% or maybe even a little bit more, and I'll apply that change, and then I'll commit the change to the text. I'll go ahead and close my individual panels and then with the Move tool selected on the toolbox. And with my Type layer active on the Layers panel, I can click and drag and move the text around.

So, I'm moving the text on the image, but the image remains only visible where that text is actually located. So, for example, I can position the text perhaps something like that, that looks kind of cool. And I can even add layer effects I'll go ahead and hold the Ctrl key on Windows, or the Cmd key on Macintosh, while clicking on the Create New Layer button. The blank sheet of paper icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. And then I'll choose Edit Fill from the menu and set my Use Pop Up to white and click OK. So that I have a white background behind my text mostly just to make things a little more visible.

And then I'll select the Text layer once again and click the FX button at the bottom of the Layers panel. And in this case, I think I'll add a Drop shadow, for example. So, I'll click Drop shadow from that Pop-up menu and then I can adjust the settings for my Drop shadow. Perhaps I'll increase the distance here, for example, and adjust the size a little bit, maybe reduce the opacity so it's not quite so strong an effect. And I could also add maybe a Bevel and Emboss type of effect, but once again, I'll reduce the overall strength of that effect. I want something relatively subtle in this case.

So, maybe something like that and then I'll tone down the opacity for the screen effect. And tone down the opacity for the multiply effect so that we now have a bit of a subtle effect for my text. I'll go ahead and click the OK button and you can see by using an image in conjunction with the Text layer. We're able to create a clipping group so that the image is only visible where that text is visible. And of course, we can, as with any Text layer, add layer effects, modify the text, change all the attributes of that text.

And it remains fully editable, but, in that form of a photograph.

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Released

12/10/2012

Chances are, when you think of Adobe Photoshop, working with text isn't the first thing you think of. And yet Photoshop offers powerful tools for creating and customizing text. In this course Tim Grey explores all the possibilities—from basic tools and techniques for adding and formatting text to advanced options like presets, styles, layer effects, and text on a path. Plus, learn how to fine-tune the text you've added to an image, get tips for creative things you can do with words and letters in Photoshop, and be introduced to some of the new features in Photoshop CS6 that make working with text surprisingly easy and efficient.